MEPX
Chapter 6 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Layers
  2. 2Addresses
  3. 3DNS
  4. 4TCP and UDP
  5. 5Routing
  6. 6HTTP
  7. 7Wifi and local networks
  8. 8Latency and bandwidth
  9. 9Diagnosing problems
  10. 10How the internet fits together

Chapter 6 of 10

HTTP

The conversation a browser has.

Request and response

The browser sends a method, a path and headers; the server replies with a status code, headers and usually a body. GET reads, POST submits, PUT replaces and DELETE removes.

  • 2xx succeeded, 3xx redirects, 4xx blames the request, 5xx blames the server.
  • Headers carry the content type, caching rules, cookies and authentication.

HTTPS

HTTPS is HTTP inside an encrypted TLS connection. The certificate proves the server's identity, and the handshake agrees keys before any request is sent.